


🔇 Escape the noise, embrace the moment — Bose QuietComfort Earbuds.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2020) combine world-class active noise cancellation with high-fidelity sound and a comfortable, secure fit. Featuring Bluetooth 5.1 for stable wireless connectivity up to 30 feet, these earbuds offer up to 6 hours of playback plus 12 hours via a Qi-compatible wireless charging case. With customizable ANC levels, intuitive touch controls, and IPX4 water resistance, they’re engineered for professionals who demand immersive audio and distraction-free focus on the go.
| ASIN | B08C4KWM9T |
| Additional Features | Microphone Included, Noise Cancellation, Volume Control, Water Resistant |
| Age Range Description | Adult |
| Antenna Location | Calling |
| Audio Driver Type | Dynamic Driver |
| Battery Average Life | 6 hours |
| Battery Charge Time | 6 hours |
| Best Sellers Rank | #124,769 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #4,909 in Earbud & In-Ear Headphones |
| Bluetooth Range | 30 feet |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Brand | Bose |
| Brand Name | Bose |
| Built-In Media | 2 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds , Charging case, Small, medium and large eartips, USB-C (A to C) audio cable |
| Cable Features | Without Cable |
| Carrying Case Battery Average Life | 12 hours |
| Carrying Case Battery Capacity | 12 hours |
| Carrying Case Battery Charging Time | 12 hours |
| Carrying Case Color | Black |
| Carrying Case Material | Silicone |
| Carrying Case Weight | 8.53 g |
| Color | Black |
| Compatible Devices | Cellphones |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth 5.1, USB |
| Control Method | Touch |
| Control Type | Media Control |
| Controller Type | Control Button |
| Customer Package Type | FFP |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 36,583 Reviews |
| EU Spare Part Availability Duration | 2 years |
| Ear Placement | In Ear |
| Earpiece Shape | Rounded tip |
| Enclosure Material | Silicone, Hard plastic |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
| Frequency Range | 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz |
| Headphone Folding Features | In Ear |
| Headphone Jack | 2.5 mm Jack |
| Headphones Ear Placement | In Ear |
| Impedance | 80 ohm |
| Item Type Name | Noise Cancelling Earbuds |
| Item Weight | 9 g |
| Manufacturer | Bose |
| Model Name | QuietComfort Earbuds |
| Model Number | 831262-0010 |
| Noise Control | Active Noise Cancellation |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Sensitivity | 101 db |
| Specific Uses For Product | Music |
| Style Name | QuietComfort Earbuds |
| Subject Character | No characters |
| Theme | Video Game |
| UPC | 017817804516 |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Warranty Description | 1 year manufacturer |
| Water Resistance Level | Water Resistant |
| Wireless Technology | Bluetooth |
E**C
Love these earbuds
I've only had these earbuds for 4 days, so I don't know much about battery life, but everything else about them has made me happy. I have 3 air conditioners and 2 fans running in my apartment, and the ANC cuts the noise down to a whisper allowing me to only hear the music. And the music sounds crisp and clear with good bass (for ear buds, anyway). The buds rest on the outside of your ear canals instead of jamming down inside, which makes them more comfortable for extended periods of time and the rubber fins hold them in place well. I've owned the Bose Sport earbuds for around a year, and they have the same fins. They've never once fallen out. (I've lost every other earbud that I've used at one time or another.) The QC buds feel just as secure and just as comfortable as the Sport buds. They are fairly large compared to other earbuds, but it's not noticable when I'm using them. Also, the case is pretty big, but I don't carry the case around in my pocket, so that doesn't bother me either. Call quality is pretty good. Everyone says they can hear me well. If you're trying to decide between the Sport or QC earbuds, I think the QC have only slightly better sound when listening to music, but the noise cancelling makes a big difference. You can hear everything better without the background noise, even at lower volume. The call quality, however, is significantly better with the QC. Right now, it's tempting to leave these on from the time I get home from work until I go to bed. They're very comfortable, and the noise isolation is quite peaceful. Hopefully I'll still like them this much in a month or 2. Update for the QC2: I've always been a function over form kind of person, so I didn't really care what the original QC buds looked like (the extra large size that everyone complains about), and maybe I'm showing my age, and I might be the only person on the planet that says this, but I think the first generation QC buds were more comfortable. The QC2s go farther into my ear canal, and my ears get sore a lot more quickly. Yes, they do look a significantly more stylish. I would also trade the new, smaller case for the first gen case that has a row of indicator lights that show how much charge is remaining. The new case has one solitary light that flashes different colors to tell me something 🤷🏼♂️ in some sort of indiscernible Morse code. The older, larger buds are also easier for me to handle. The new ones are like slippery, squirrelly jumping beans that never go where I'm trying to put them. But..... These new buds sound really good. I mean, they sound good enough that I'm not even considering returning them. The ANC is unbelievable, and the bass has even more punch than the first gen. They have a nice clean sound, like every other Bose product, and my ears are gradually tolerating them longer each time I use them. I'm keeping the first generation buds for when my ears get sore, or when the battery dies because I couldn't decipher the inscrutable case light, but I'm using the new ones most of the time. For me, the sound quality negates all other quibbles. Still 5⭐s.
H**K
Full of compromises but not when it comes to ANC.***Update***
There is an awful lot to like about the Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds. I will break down the good and the bad below but, suffice to say, these are possibly the most polarizing ear buds I have ever had on. I guess that makes it the perfect set of buds for 2020. Here is the breakdown: The good: -Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): We can just get this out of the way. If you want best in class noise cancellation on an earbud, these are the set to get. Period. I have the class leading Sony ANC earbuds, the new Technics, the Samsung Galaxy Live, and have spent extensive time with the Airpod Pros. All have solid ANC but none can approach a good set of over ears. My over ear Sony WH-1000XM3's put them all to shame when it comes to turning off the outside world. I am not ready to say that these Bose buds can duplicate that level of ANC but it is close. When you get a good seal and have the adjustable ANC level on 10, the world is gone. I was out hanging Halloween decorations a couple weeks ago and my neighbor across the street was mowing his lawn. It looked comical. It appeared that he was mowing with the mower turned off. I couldn't hear it. Once I realized the trick the ANC was doing, I strained my ears to really focus and try to hear anything. Nothing. Finally, I plucked an earbud out and there it was, loud lawn mower. If great ANC is the mission, stop right now, and just buy these. -Sound: Like all Bose products, these sound great. A few years ago, I would be raving about them. They have the classic signature Bose warm tonality, nice solid bass, a full mid section, and crisp resonating highs. However, after using products from Klipsch, Sennheiser, B&O, and my other afformentioned ANC earbuds, either my taste in sound has changed or my expectations have. I recently received a set of new wireless earbuds from Shure and they sound unbelievable. The detail and sound stage are amazing. These just don't sound as good. They are better than any of my buds from Samsung or Jabra for sure and in the same arena as the others. For this price, I guess I was hoping for more. One challenge may be that Bose doesn't give you the ability to customize your sound. You can customize your ANC experience just not your sound. It has to be the way Bose wants you to hear them. Frankly, this is a stunning omission. They have a great app. Just not sure how or why you leave that out. Maybe someday an update can remedy this. In the meantime, these buds sound great. Just know that at this price, there are earbuds that sound a bit better out there. -Connection / Pairing: As you would expect, these come with the latest and greatest chip set as well as Bluetooth 5.1. To pair just download the Bose Music app and follow the directions. You will be all set in maybe ten seconds. Range is great. 30 plus feet through walls. All is exactly as you would expect from a high end set of buds. -Intangibles: Bose gives you a very fancy auto pause they call auto transparency. Pluck a bud from either ear and the others ANC turns off. Pretty slick but there isn't a regular touch pad transparency mode. Weird. You get quick charging (5 minutes on nets 2 hours use) via USBC and Qi wireless charging. Good stuff. The bad: -Form factor: There is no other way to put this. These Bose buds are big. HUGE actually. While everyone else is going small, Bose went big. Some of this must be to accommodate the internals of the buds themselves. I am also guessing that, in order to get a good seal, like an over ear, they determined that they needed the extra size. Oddly, in spite of this size, they are quite comfortable and lightweight. So, while I am hitting Bose for an overall negative here, if you can live with the look, you will not mind how they feel. One more note here, you really need to try all three sets of wings as you need to get a good seal in order to experience their magical ANC. -Battery life: Not a negative but definitely NOT a positive. Less than six hours on bud for me. That's in line with my other ANC buds but you would think Bose could squeeze a little more out of these since they are like satellites hanging out of your ears. Further, the case is large. I took a couple pictures next to my other buds for perspective. You only get two more charges there. Should be at least three. There is an external LED battery life indicator which is well done. All and all just should be better. -Controls: For buds this big, Bose should let you control everything here. Instead, you have very limited pause/play, ANC controls, etc. No volume. No track control. These are big omissions. Pretty much means your phone always need to be at your side. Just not acceptable. The Wrap: Listen, I have been pretty hard on these. I feel like at $279, I should be. However, I will say this. After a few days, I 100% planned on returning these. Yet, here I am a couple of weeks later and they haven't left my side. I am not sending them back in spite of all of their shortcomings. They sound great but, more than anything, when you hit the ANC on these, the world around you vaporizes. These days, I can live with an awful lot of compromises in order to make that happen. Cheers to the Bose team on making a classy yet odd looking set of buds that give you world class ANC. ***Update*** I have lived with these now for a few weeks. The things I hit these for still bother me but my original 4 star review is being moved to a 5 star. There are a few reasons for this. First, while huge, I just love wearing these. They are super comfortable for long sessions. They don't jam into your ear canal but simply push against it. The Bose design team deserves a lot of credit here. They are just really well made. Something I didn't fully grasp when I wrote my initial review. Plus, they actually look kind of cool. Secondly, as I said originally, the ANC really is amazing. Every day I use them I am more and more blown away. They just literally make the world disappear. Lastly, they sound great. I still long for an EQ option in the app but I don't really miss it in real world use. Here is the bottom line; I have a drawer full of high end earbuds and headphones. For the last few weeks, I grabbed my Samsung Live Buds once. Every other day I have reached for these. They are just simply the best buds I own. That doesn't mean that my prior criticisms aren't reasonable. It just means that everything these do well they do really well. They aren't inexpensive but, if you can pull it off, I highly recommend making the investment. ***Update 2.0***So one of my major gripes just got a little better. Bose just updated their app and it now includes a toggle to add volume controls on bud. You will find this toggle in your settings. Simply flip volume control on and you can now swipe up and down on the right bud to control volume. It is very well done. There is still some work to do on this front but we are getting there. Keep up the support Bose. One more update here that I think is relevant. In the last few months, I have added both the Master and Dynamic MW08's and Bowers and Wilkins new buds to my arsenal. Both cost more. The Bose represent themselves very well in this premium group. Both the M&D's and the B&O's sound a bit better. The B&O's are actually shockingly good in the way they sound. However, none of them hold a candle to what these can do with ANC. They are just so good at removing the world around you. Of ANC is the objective just buy these. You deserve it!
H**R
*Update* Right earbud doesn’t work right out of the package
I literally just bought these yesterday. I was so excited to try them. I opened them up, followed the setup instructions and attempted to pair them with my iPhone. After an hour of trying I wasn’t able to. After researching online, I found the right earbud was not working. No indicator light at all when sitting in the charging case. You can see this in the pic, each should have a white light; solid white for charged and blinking white for charging. I contacted bose today. Manufacturing defect. They are sending me a new pair once these ones are returned. I am beyond disappointed. This is my third pair of headphones from Bose and I’ve never had any issues before. For $300.00 you would think they would work. This seems to be a common problem with these headphones. I used their texting feature to contact bose which was really easy. I will post an update once I get my replacement set and are finally able to use them, hopefully! ******UPDATE****** I got my new set from Bose, within a week. Almost perfect except they sent me the wrong color. I bought black and got white. I ended up keeping the white ones, I actually like the color but didn’t order bc people said they get dirty and scratch easy which hasn’t happened yet. I absolutely love these headphones!! I got them for noise canceling which these are far better than anything on the market. Goodbye Sony. I have misophonia and desperately need these while at work. They block out everything. But you can change the level of noise canceling depending on what your doing with the app. The battery is spot on what it advertised (6hrs on full noise cancelling) but I wish the case didn’t have to be charged so much. As far as the silicone tips…I had a hard time with the sizing. The smallest size was ok but they fell out sometimes when exercising. The mediums are too big. But I learned Bose is offering new trial sizes, for in between. I contacted them and got those for free!!! The 1+ fit great for exercising and the 1 for regular office use. I couldn’t be happier with these despite the issue in the beginning. Lose the Sonys and get these for sure at least for now
A**R
Comparing this with Sony wf-1000xm4
I've recently purchased both Sony and Bose noise-cancelling earbuds and I have some fresh thoughts I'd like to share. Spoiler: I chose the Bose one. I tried both in New York in different situations, like in busy streets, during phone calls, playing music etc. So, to start with, the sound quality and noise cancellation of both devices are superb. I'll stick with the details. In general, the Bose one makes you truly disconnect from the outside world - It is so comfortable and light that you forget you're wearing them. Noise cancellation works perfectly well and really shuts down the external noises. The only issue I saw when comparing with Sony is that I could hear my footsteps, which was a bit annoying when walking. The Sony one, on the other hand, is really uncomfortable. It's not just a matter of changing the tips, the actual plastic case goes inside your ear, and that's not adjustable. To make a perfect fit you have to rotate the case and after a day wearing them my ears were hurting a lot. You just feel them all the time. Also, I didn't feel like it disconnected me from the outside world. It makes me feel like I'm wearing a helmet - like my head is inside a fishbowl or something. Although the noise cancellation is great, it doesn't make the outside world completely quiet. Think of it as the sound you hear when you cover your ears with your hands. It's very very subtle, but hey, I'm here to analyze the details. Furthermore, with Sony, when Ambient Sound is on, external noises sound flat, and you don't know where they're coming from - I heard sounds coming from the left when their sources were actually on the right. During calls, the person on the other side of the call had a much stronger preference over the Sony ones. When I was wearing the Bose ones, they said the noise was loud and uncomfortable, and by switching to Sony in the same location, they reported it as sounding much quieter. Now, what REALLY turned me off with the Sony one is this: NOISE CANCELLING DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY DURING CALLS! It's basically a feature for you to hear your own voice, but it's super frustrating to be sitting quietly with the earbuds, then making a phone call, and all of a sudden you can hear everything around you. Noise cancellation gets turned off or at least is greatly reduced. Bose has that feature too but you can turn it on and off and even adjust the sensibility. Both apps seem to have similar sets of functions and I will not go through them here as it's already too long. The only thing worth mentioning to me is that you can use the equalizer for the Sony one. Bose just sticks with its standard sound profile, which is good enough. Also, I read a comment here that you can only pair the Sony earbuds with a single device, and that is completely false, as I've paired it with multiple devices and could switch between them very easily. Now trust me, I was super happy with the Sony ones until I tried the Bose ones. It really makes a difference. Even with my points above, I almost kept the Sony one. Here's why: With Bose i can hear my footsteps, and that annoyed me for a while. Bose's case is much larger Sony has better battery life With Sony, The person on the other side of the call hears me better But then, thinking about the comfort and the "hands over ear" effect, I went with Bose.
B**H
BUYER BEWARE
EXCITED!! I have been a Bose customer for many years, and have always loved their gear, so I was excited to receive my new Bose QC Earbuds today. Despite the "rumblings" of a growing lack of quality control at "Bose Central", and despite the few negative customer complaints I have read here and there, I chose to put faith in the shiny reviews that talk about the Bose quality noise cancellation, the comfortable fit and the high quality sound that I would expect from Bose's new earbuds. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. After receiving them and smiling as I opened the pristine packaging and pulling out the trademark smooth black case, I opened it, took out the beautiful black earbuds, followed the detailed instructions to fit and pair them to my iPhone, and was at the peak of my excitement when I heard distorted sound coming from only the left earbud. AN HOUR AND A HALF OF FRUSTRATING TROUBLESHOOTING. I tried calling Bose... no humans available. I followed all the instructions I could find on their website. I disconnected Bluetooth, I reconnected Bluetooth. I reset the earbuds, I tried to pair them with other devices that we own, Apple and others, no joy. I went to forums and began to discover a long line of people who are having the SAME ISSUE. One earbud works and the other does not. No solutions. I have the latest firmware, the earbuds and the case are fully charged and the right earbud simply does not work. To add insult to injury, the sound coming from the left earbud sounds like it is overmodulating, and while the feature to activate Siri does work, there is no connectivity between Siri and the earbuds, so it is impossible to use this feature. THE GOOD. The packaging is beautiful, the case that the buds nest in is sturdy and protective and has a great feel. The earbuds themselves are extremely comfortable and they felt great in my ears. The noise cancellation feature is absolutely Bose top notch. THE BAD. THEY DON'T WORK. I paid nearly $300 for these earbuds, and for the premium price I paid, I expected the premium quality performance that I have come to depend on from Bose. CONCLUSION. As a longtime Bose customer, I am highly disappointed, and frankly, shocked that I find myself writing a negative review of a company and product that I put so much trust in, but I am writing this to prevent others from experiencing the extreme frustration that I have, and to simply warn others: BUYER BEWARE.
J**S
Excellent, but with some surprising shortcomings
I bought these to replace my Bose SoundSport earbuds, which finally gave up the ghost after about five years. A quick word about the SoundSport buds: I went through four different sets, all replaced at no charge--even when they were out of warranty. The first set stopped holding a charge after less than a year. Replaced. The switch on the right bud disintegrated after a year. Bose replaced the unit even though it was out of warranty. The left bud got very faint and ultimately stopped working altogether. Replaced out of warranty by Bose. The current one, which has worked well for about 18 months, has lost sound on the left bud. I figure I've gotten my money's worth, so I haven't contacted Bose this time--I just bought the QC instead. I mention my issues with the SoundSport because I have concerns about Bose's quality control, at least for that particular unit. I bought a pair of Apple AirPod Pro but returned them after a couple of days because I have an Android phone (Galaxy Note 20), and most of the attractive features of the AirPods don't work on my phone or are cumbersome. So I went for the QC with only minor reservations. Here's what I like about them: * They sound very, very good--better than my SoundSport. I listen mainly to audiobooks, which aren't particularly demanding, but the sound is noticeably better--even to my (ahem) "older" ears. (When you ride a motorcycle fast without earplugs for a lot of years, you pay a price. Pay attention, kids!) The music I listen to is largely acoustic--guitar, mandolin and violin. The sound is very pleasant, with good detail and strong bass. I don't have to turn the volume higher to get the nuances of the music. That is definitely a plus. * They are very secure in my ears and very comfortable--more so than their predecessor. I expect they'll stay put even when I work out and sweat heavily. * The noise canceling is spookily effective. I listen to audiobooks in my car, which has a fair amount of road noise. It's a Porsche, and I tend to drive pretty fast. The noise-canceling is good enough that I don't have to raise the volume. I have not tried different-sized ear tips but might see if the noise canceling is even more effective with a different size. * The QC works quite well for phone calls. I have had no complaints from people about intelligibility or noise. One very welcome feature is that I can adjust how much of my voice I can hear on calls. The SoundSport did not have that, so being able to hear myself when I talk on phone calls is good. I set the option to 100%. * The controls are okay: tap the right bud twice to answer or terminate a phone call, swipe up or down on the right bud to raise or lower the volume. Tapping twice on the right bud pauses and restarts the audio player. * The battery life is longer than I expected. I listen to audiobooks to fall asleep. I set the "sleep" function on my app to 10 minutes. In the morning, I still have about 20% battery after eight hours. * The charging case has been good for three full charges from 20% to full—also more than I expected. Some have complained about its size, but it's not uncomfortable to carry around in my pocket--it weighs 3.3 oz (93 grams) and measures 3.25" x 2" x 1.5" tall (82 mm x 50 mm x 38 mm). There are some missing features, but they are not deal killers for me. * There is no way to fast forward through an audio program. The SoundSport allowed me to double- or triple-click and hold the control button on the mic to fast forward. There is no equivalent on the QC. I have to go to the phone for those functions. * The SoundSport went into sleep mode when not playing content. I was able to go a week between charges because of that feature. Also not a deal killer, as the battery life is longer than I expected with the QC. * There is no way to power the QC down other than putting them in the charging case. * There does not appear to be a way to locate a lost earbud--a "find my bud" feature. That is my biggest concern. There is still a video on the Bose site showing how to use Find My Buds--in the obsolete Bose Connect app. This is close to a deal killer. I cannot understand why this feature has been disabled in one of Bose's flagship products. The QC are quite a bit larger than the Apple product, so they won't be quite as easy to lose. I hope. Overall, I am very happy with this purchase. I use earbuds every day, so I am quite particular about getting a set that works well. So far, these fill the bill. I hope not to have to deal with the kinds of QC issues I had with the SoundSport. Bose offers a 90-day unconditional return policy, although I would have bought these without it. They are pricey, but I have always found that paying top dollar for the best quality winds up being the best investment over time.
L**S
Perfect for a commute in a noisy city
In the noisy city where i live, taking public transit to work often makes it hard for me to hear my music, often needing to put my music on Max volume for me to be able to hear my music the way i want, and even then i still hear the noises of the city. These do such a good job of isolating the sound of my music so that it's the only thing I hear, which is perfect for me. I don't want to hear the noises of the city, and with these on, I don't have to I know there are better ANC options in the form of on-ear/over-ear headphones, but those are too big and usually make my ears feel clammy & sweaty. So I went with these, since I've used Bose wired earbuds before and love Bose headphones that I STILL have (it's 5 been years, maybe more) In the box It comes with 3 swappable ear tips so that you can have the best fit for your ears (the medium size comes on the earbuds by default). And charging case, which houses the earbuds themselves. As well as a USB to USB-C cable to charge the case with. Let's get the bad stuff out of the way: The charging case, I saw the reviews saying the case was big, and then I saw the customer pictures and thought that it wasn't so big. I was wrong, this thing is HUGE. You can't really tell just how tall the charging case actually is. Don't expect to put this case in ANY kind of pocket, be prepared to carry the case in a bag. This wasnt a huge deal for me since I carry a bookbag everywhere I go. The case itself opens with the push of a button, not with a magnetic lid. I don't think this is a pro or con, i didn't mind it when I got used to it. Lack of touch control features, with the touch controls you can swap between three levels of ANC (0%, 50%, and 100% by default, but you can change thee presets on their app), skip to the next track, raise the volume, pause/play music and answer/end calls. You can also bring up your phone's voice assistant (for me it was the Google assistant). This is it... You CANNOT go to a previous track to repeat it, or turn the volume down. I do wish I had the ability to change what the touch controls do, since personally, I do not use the Google assistant feature or swap noise cancellation levels at all. Which would have freed up those gestures for volume down and previous track. On top of the fact that this next feature makes the swappable ANC levels obsolete Other: When you take one earbud off, it pauses your media (assuming you have music playing) and turns off active noise cancellation, which is nice when you are trying to have a conversation. Putting on the headphones so that they 'seal' against your inner ears is actually very easy. Their app shows you how to properly put on the headphones, for a perfect seal every time (i know it seems trivial, you should just put them in your ear right? Nah there's a technique to it lol) The battery life is nothing to write home about, but i didn't feel like they died too quickly. I only needed then to commute to and from work, and during my lunch break, which is only 3 hours a day, and i charge them every night. They don't have the best battery life but they don't die on me every hour either. At the end of an hour ii am usually at around 80% battery on each earbud. I also place them in their charging case between use and that is enough to get me through the day. The Good: The sound quality and noise cancellation is top notch. Which is no surprise, since that is what Bose does best. I seriously cannot put into words just how amazing these sound, and how well they isolate my music from the world around me. I played around with turning the ANC on and off in the app and i was honestly shocked at how much noise was being cancelled by the earbuds. it almost seems criminal to talk so much about the few features i didn't care too much about, and talk so little about what i bought these earbuds for, which they do an amazing job at, but honestly there's not much i can say other than they are amazing in both sound and ANC. TLDR; If all you care about is sound quality and ANC, and want them in an earbud form factor, look no further. Get these. If the quality of life features such as gesture controls and portability are the primary reasons you are looking wireless earbuds, i think you can find more affordable options.
P**R
Great Value Proposition
Background: I’m an audiophile who is about $4.5k deep in his stereo setup so it is surprising to say this but I really dig these earbuds. Bose usually targets non-audiophiles as their sound signature is a “sculpted” V shape whereas audiophiles look for neutrality or a straight line across the frequency spectrum. The Value Proposition: With that in mind, I think people overestimate the ability of more expensive wireless options like the Sony and Senhesier to deliver that neutrality, regardless of earbud/over-ear design. Most of us use iPhones as music players which don’t accept hi-res wireless codes and are a PIA to use with wired headphones without carrying around a radio shack/dongle city. These Bose look like a comparatively good value: at $200 they undercut the companies mentioned above that have ANC earbuds which are $280 and $250. That it just more than I want to spend on a pair of earbuds, which typically have a short shelf life anyway due to loss, poor build quality, depleting battery life, and rapidly changing tech… Sound: these are a far cry from the first Bose I owned, the OG quiet comforts in middle school with the battery box built into the 3.5mm cable. Dynamic range, note-to-note distinction, and tonal accuracy are improved significantly. They’re much more musical even if detail retrieval isn’t top of the line. But how could it be with standard AAC, SBC codecs? Moreover, even if they did have more advanced codecs like APT-X HD and LDAC, my iPhone is my mobile music player and doesn’t accept them anyway. So really unless you’re on Android, paying for them is a waste of money. You’re not getting the data. Overall; sound signature is controlled, bass heavy, and musical if not neutral. I can live with it for a mobile solution because I do critical listening at home due to the inherent compromises of mobile, which leads to my next point nicely. Active Noise Cancellation: This is where these earbuds shine. Whether you’re living in the city, commuting to work by train, dealing with construction, trying to mow the lawn, whatever: these babies block out the world with the best ANC I’ve heard in an earbud and you are immersed in your music. I accidentally turned on my 1100W stereo in the next room to 50% volume with a butt dial and had no idea it was playing while wearing these. Without this quiet space, you’re wasting your time trying to hear the music in detail. That is why I think these are an incredible value proposition that make sense for a mobile solution. Battery: It’s fine, expected 6 hours without the charging case. That is better than Apple by several hours. I expect to have these for 3 years and then upgrade to something with longer battery life as technology improves and lithium ion depletes with age. Calls: They’re great, I use them for Zoom calls almost every day. If they could connect to multiple devices at once that would be cool, but it is no dealbreaker. Build Quality: Last but not least, audiophiles know that with consistent use wear and tear happens so we prioritize a robust build that will hold up with thousands of hours of listening. These things deliver. I’ll take the bulkier case with a stronger hinge. The slightly bigger earbuds are fine because they’re built solidly. I just can’t get on board with the chintzy Apple/Beats products that look like they’re built from dollar store plastics, like they’re going to fall apart in 6 months. Same thing for cheap alternatives from Anker and similar budget brands (you get what you pay for). Wrap Up: mobile music listening is full of compromises and I think Bose has created an excellent product that delivers where it counts. If you want to do critical listening, do yourself a favor and invest in a pair of open-back headphones and amp at home or better yet a stereo setup you can enjoy with others. What Hi-Fi is a good, accessible place to start for recommendations and Stereofile is more advanced. For everything else, when I’m running around doing errands, on the plane next to a screaming baby, or just trying to cut down the noise of traffic/construction while working, these will deliver nicely. Plan to keep, will update in 1, 6, 12 months ************************************************************************************************************* Updated 10/2022: I’m happy other buyers found this review useful. Forgot to update this sooner, needless to say, still love these babies - the version 1’s - and they would still be the wireless buds I would spend my money on today inclusive of new models.
F**1
As described
As described
M**L
Grandiosos , pero sólo para un nicho muy específico
No es ninguna noticia que su estuche de carga es INMENSO, y aunque los auriculares también son bastante grandes, sorpresivamente tienen un agarre ESPECTACULAR, puedes girar tu cabeza lo más rápido que puedas y NO SE CAEN, su agarre es notoriamente mejor que la generación anterior, pero quizá sean un poco más cansados de llevar que la generación anterior. El nivel de cancelacion de ruido es ESCANDALOSAMENTE BUENO, tanto para escuchar música como para hacer llamadas, al grado de que puedes hacer con ellos una llamada a un metro de un compresor industrial de 5Hp's y te escuchan sin problema alguno, lo cual era una debilidad de la generación anterior, las llamadas, y ahora es una fortaleza, una de las mayores. Estan diseñados para usarse con ambos auriculares a la vez, y sólo puedes configurar un geest o para o adelantar o regresar la canción, de modo que alguno de esos dos comandos vas a perder con estos auriculares incluso teniendo puestos ambos, cuando por ejemplo, los Huawei Freebuds Pro te permiten adelantar y regresar canciones, subir y bajar volumen, con cualquiera de los dos auriculares. Les falta la función Speak to Talk de Sony, cuyos WF-1000XM4 por el mismo precio, te dan esa muy útil función, y tienen mejores medios, y son más pequeños tanto auriculares como estuche y aún así, dan mejor autonomía de batería. Los de Sony son un producto más redondo, más completo, esos tienen el codec LDAC para mayor fidelidad en la transmisión de la música, sólo hay una cosa en la que los Bose son superiores, la cancelación de ruido, pero en mi caso, que trabajo en un ambiente industrial muy ruidoso, estos QC Earbuds me dan una cancelación de ruido incluso superior a la de los audífonos de diadema QC 35 II y repito, hice una llamada a un metro de un compresor industrial encendido, con mi cel en la bolsa, y me entendieron el 100% de mis palabras (y viseversa) por lo que para alguien que la cancelación de ruido sea lo más importante (como es mi aso) estos Bose QC Earbuds son lo mejor que hay al momento, pero para quienes no les sea la cancelación de ruido lo más importante, los WF-1000XM4 son superiores en todo lo demás, al mismo precio.
C**S
Rewelacyjne!
Używałem wielu rodzajów słuchawek, ale te są najlepsze. Niesamowicie wygodne, fajny dźwięk, super wyciszenie ;)
P**I
Bose De Luxe
Dom här lurarna är det bästa jag testat. Har AirPods PRO och Bose överträffar dom på allt utom kontrollerna när det kommer till byta låt eller svara osv, där är AirPods PRO bättre. Har även testat Sennheiser TW3 där ANC samt hur dom sitter i öronen var en besvikelse men ljudet var bra. Ljudet med adaptiv EQ samt ANC är absolut världsklass på Bose QC samt att dom sitter skönt i öronen då dom intre pressas in i öronen. Att rekommendera.
A**Y
Loved it
I was not sure how the stable the earbuds would be in my ears as the ear buds looks bigger but trust me it fit perfectly with the side lock hold it perfectly fine even when we sweats Surprisingly there is no discomfort even after 6 hours of constant use. It’s very light weight and comfortable Appearance: Love the Bose logo on the case and on earbuds.. the Bose logo engraving on the earbuds gives it a very premium look. battery life is solid with 6 hours wear and my anc was on / off as I was shopping in market Sound quality is very balanced . Nothing was overdone. I got this great product very cheap during great Indian festival sale along with 1 year extended warranty for Rs 1 .. BOSE IS BOSS .. I would give it 5 /5. I am no sound expert but in my opinion for it is awesome..
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